Sullivan strike earns Heys a point

By Rick Barrett

A goal by Benjamin Elliott early in the second half secured a point for West Didsbury and Chorlton at a misty Stop Places Stadium against Prestwich Heys on Tuesday night.

Heys without a win in the last three league games came into this one after a battling 1-1 draw at Burscough while West were playing for the first time in three weeks as the recent poor weather had put paid to several fixtures.

It was the visitors who were much quicker out of the box and almost went ahead as early as the third minute when midfielder Pa Jenkins smashed a shot from twenty-five yards onto the cross bar, almost catching the hosts cold.

Back came Wests on twelve minutes, winning a free kick on the edge of the box which Rhain Davis fired over the bar, but Heys were getting a grip in the midfield and Jacob Ngoy, down the right, found Rio Wilson-Heyes whose shot was cleared for a corner on seventeen minutes.

Despite Prestwich having the upper hand West winger Kieron Molloy was dangerous down the left and on twenty minutes he knocked a wicked cross in but no one running in could get a boot on to steer it home.

Full back Jack McConnell was next to show for Prestwich and went one on one with West keeper Alexander Hughes before firing over the bar in what was a big chance for Heys.

Wilson- Heyes was lively for the visitors with a couple of quick chances and was pivotal in the opening goal on thirty-eight minutes, knocking a cross in for Brad Sullivan to convert home past keeper Hughes to give Prestwich a deserved lead and send them 1-0 up going into the break.

Wests started to press into the second half, but it was Heys with the first big chance as on fifty minutes a lovely cross field ball from Aaron Chalmers found Wilson-Heyes on the left, but his twelve-yard shot was deflected out for a corner.

Back came Wests though and they equalised on fifty-five minutes when a corner from Oliver Ford was cleared back to him enabling him to put a cross in finding the head of Benjamin Elliott to head home from close range past Heys keeper Russ Saunders.

The goal clearly spurred on the home side and Elliott nearly put them in front shortly after running in and shooting but his shot was blocked by Saunders.

Heys responded though on sixty-four minutes, a long ball over the top found Connor Brotherton but keeper Hughes ran out to collect the ball before he could get a shot in, and Sam Olawumi fired over from twenty yards shortly after.

The hosts were pressing high though, and former Heys striker Lee Grimshaw nearly took the glory on seventy-two minutes with a back heel that went just wide after a goal mouth scramble.

The last quarter of the game was more of a midfield battle with few chances, but Chalmers was unlucky for Heys on eighty-four minutes firing over at an angle from an in swinging corner which was the final chance of the night.

So, it finished all square in what was a fair result. Heys played some of the best football they have played in recent weeks in the first half as Wests struggled to get with the pace after a three-week fixture gap. The hosts improved after the break, but Prestwich were resolute at the back after the equaliser and will be encouraged by this result as they go into Saturday's big game at home to Chadderton.

TEAM: Russ Saunders, Jacob Ngoy, Jack McConnell, Pa Jenkins, Nathan Bartram-Conway, Samuel Olawumi, Connor Brotherton, Brad Sullivan, Gabriel Mooney-Munoz, Rio Wilson-Heyes
Subs: Saidkhon Khamidov, Nathan Emery (for Ngoy 85 mins), Dylan Fitzgerald (for Mooney-Munoz 76 mins), Jack Coop (for Brotherton 76 mins), Connor Martin (for Wilson-Heyes 81 mins)

Rick Barrett has his own Heys blog called "View from a Sandgate Bridge" here https://rickbarrett753.wixsite.com/website-2